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Cadaverous Pallor
11-13-2008, 09:48 AM
More photoshop jobs for work! In spoiler boxes since I want to post them in a decently large size.

The Young Adult Librarian approached me asking for some signage help in the Teen Zone. The area had been neglected since we opened. There's a nice big neon sign to beckon teens so it wasn't vital. They did need signage to mention that the area was for teens only during certain hours of the day, and those signs were slapdash awful ones that I didn't have a hand in making. To be honest, they had been making me cringe.

The librarian didn't have any preconceptions whatsoever in terms of design. I asked him to send me websites or imagery that inspired him, or even point to fonts and colors, but all he could muster to send me was a website by librarians about decorating teen areas, with all the usual lameness that accompanies such attempts to reach kids. He gave me free reign to try things. :)

I'd been inspired by things like Etsy and other art sites, especially current t-shirt design (like threadless (http://www.threadless.com/). There is some cutting edge stuff happening out there in t-shirts and I did a ton of googling. I love googling art at work!

After lots of looking I decided I wanted a birds-congregating motif to represent the Teen Zone.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/3027786932_1372b9e282_b.jpg

This is an original image I found on flickr. I have to say my pics of power lines have seeped into my choice. :)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/3027786982_601750b6fd_o.jpg

I also found some art that I liked. It was vector based but photoshop (at least my version) doesn't work with vectors, so in order to use this I had to redraw a bunch of it. I was reminded of a fad when I was in 1st grade. Everyone would put paper over cool drawings and trace them and pretend they could actually draw that well.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/3026955013_c001cf6782_b.jpg

First try. I liked this but the librarian didn't.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/3026955679_36f765d7a7_b.jpg

Cutting things up and putting them back together is my specialty. This banner would be about 7 feet long. Again, I really liked this one but they wanted me to try the other design. I guess it was a bit too arty for them to be writ large.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/3026957063_371de72c78_b.jpg

It took a lot of messing to come up with this. I tried many color combos. This one looks a bit too greeny on my current screen but our large poster printer tends to mute colors so you have to go bold. This is the final design, though we have yet to figure out how to stick the damn thing on the crappy matte paint (details, details.)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/3027795896_0583bb62db_b.jpg

Yeah, mostly stolen, though I did have to trace the damn thing. This one is up and looks fabulous. Sending people over to the librarian is much easier now with this obvious sign. Yay, usefulness! (I don't know why this specific green printed well, but it did.)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3201/3026962397_f3c9f71a3a_b.jpg

This is the final on a letter-size flyer we put next to the computers. I'm so glad the birds on a wire made it into use.

Anyway, thanks for indulging me. I'm so happy to spend my work time on fun projects. :)
Capt Jack
11-13-2008, 10:01 AM
wow. nice work!
:snap:
bewitched
11-13-2008, 10:03 AM
Anyway, thanks for indulging me. I'm so happy to spend my work time on fun projects. :)

Those are awesome CP, you've got some mad Photoshop skilz!

How cool to get to play at work and then have the results displayed for all to see.
Not Afraid
11-13-2008, 10:27 AM
I LOVE them!
alphabassettgrrl
11-13-2008, 10:29 AM
I like it CP!
Disneyphile
11-13-2008, 11:00 AM
Great job! It looks fantastic! :)
Promo-Man
11-13-2008, 11:02 AM
Very nice
mousepod
11-13-2008, 11:03 AM
Neat! The one with the butterfly reminds me of Nikki McClure.
LSPoorEeyorick
11-13-2008, 11:43 AM
Terrific work!
Betty
11-13-2008, 12:50 PM
I really like those. You did a great job!
DreadPirateRoberts
11-13-2008, 12:54 PM
nice!
Moonliner
11-13-2008, 12:59 PM
Very cool on the art.

The only comment I would have is about the "Adult Computers" upstairs. Perhaps I've been exposed to too much Kevy, but that terms make me think of things I don't think you are suggesting.
Snowflake
11-13-2008, 01:02 PM
More photoshop jobs for work! In spoiler boxes since I want to post them in a decently large size.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/3026955679_36f765d7a7_b.jpg

Cutting things up and putting them back together is my specialty. This banner would be about 7 feet long. Again, I really liked this one but they wanted me to try the other design. I guess it was a bit too arty for them to be writ large.

Anyway, thanks for indulging me. I'm so happy to spend my work time on fun projects. :)

This one is my favorite, even though I love them all. If only work did not get in the way of fun projects! ;)
Kevy Baby
11-13-2008, 01:17 PM
Nice work User CP!
Eliza Hodgkins 1812
11-13-2008, 01:17 PM
This are The Beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Yay signage!
innerSpaceman
11-13-2008, 01:21 PM
Yep, the unused long banner is easily my fave. That's, sigh, of course, why it was too good for them.


But the Teen Lounge is so improved anyway, 'cause the other signage is also top-notch.


Congrats.
Cadaverous Pallor
11-13-2008, 01:37 PM
Very cool on the art.

The only comment I would have is about the "Adult Computers" upstairs. Perhaps I've been exposed to too much Kevy, but that terms make me think of things I don't think you are suggesting.Ha ha, very funny....it's an old joke around here. We have to distinguish between Children's, Young Adult, and Adult, so it always sounds weird.

Me: "Adult DVDs are over there."
Hilariously genius patron: "You have ADULT movies here? Wocka wocka!"

I tried to come up with a better way to say it but there's no getting around it. Adult computers available upstairs. :)

Thanks for the compliments, everyone.
mousepod
11-13-2008, 01:51 PM
Me: "Adult DVDs are over there."
Hilariously genius patron: "You have ADULT movies here? Wocka wocka!"


I always wondered which public library Fozzie patronized.
lashbear
11-13-2008, 02:25 PM
Soo... only the birds can attend?. How about the blokes ?

Wocka Wocka.

:p

PS: I love every poster. It's wonderful being among creative folks here.
second class citizen
11-13-2008, 03:04 PM
Really incredible artwork, CP! It looks like you have the natural skills of a graphic artist. I love playing around with Photoshop, too!

I have to say though that when you mentioned using the theme of "birds congregating" representing teens, the very FIRST image that popped into my satirical mind was that of Hitch's "The Birds" with Tippy Hedren as the tightly bunned, but addled librarian in the foreground pondering how she was going to handle all those rowdy teenagers. I guess that shows you how MY mind works! I guess that's why I love Tim Burton so much.
Gemini Cricket
11-13-2008, 03:05 PM
I likes.
:)
€uroMeinke
11-13-2008, 10:29 PM
You have a talent - keep playing
CoasterMatt
11-13-2008, 10:45 PM
Very nice, CP

:snap: :snap: :cool:
Alex
11-13-2008, 11:24 PM
The thought of a teen room reminds me why I avoided public librarianship with every ounce of my being.

Nice signs though!
Cadaverous Pallor
11-14-2008, 01:16 AM
The thought of a teen room reminds me why I avoided public librarianship with every ounce of my being.

Nice signs though!Heh. Funny thing is, we haven't had a single reportable incident with teens in the zone. There's a librarian there at all times and it's not a large area so they just stick to their social networking websites and reading. The biggest complaint we get about that area is that it's available for adults only part of the day and some adults get really miffed that they have to go upstairs. Why? Because they like being angry, I guess. One lady claimed she can't do stairs and gets motion sickness from elevators. It took every fiber of my being to not say Really? Even one story? C'mon, give me a f'n break, lady.

The main purpose of the teen zone is to keep teens away from everyone else. We still get complaints from parents who say teens are using computers in the children's area to look at their MySpace pages including suggestive photos. Keeping all three groups separate is in our best interest. Even so, we don't seriously police who's on which computer unless we get a complaint about specific people. We don't max out on our computer use very often.
tracilicious
11-14-2008, 11:42 AM
Very nice signs!
Gemini Cricket
11-14-2008, 01:47 PM
It's not the birds you need to worry about.
It's the gibbons in the library that you should be wary of.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b268/braddoc310/n813838539_688173_6754.jpg